Does anyone else find this Democrat offensive?

[Krazygrrl]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Most in a party will share a similar ideology - to a greater of lesser degree depending on the party. Because most voters are affiliated with a party, I would suggest that most voters vote on the basis of ideology.

However, it is the 20-30% who aren't affiliated with a party who more often than not decide elections. I would expect that ideology is less important to that portion of the electorate.

Two things I don't understand: How much do you distinguish between agenda and ideology? I don't see a lot of difference. Next, are you suggesting that voters should rely more on experience and agenda (perhaps including ideology) than they do on the ability to communicate and/or charisma? As a general rule, I would agree with that too.


Regards,

D-Ray

Good points... One of the problems with ideology that is overlooked in the USA, is that with only two major parties, it is too broad. There are some conservative Democrats who are more conservative than some Republicans. There are liberal Republicans who are more liberal than some Democrats.

The various ideologies of five, six, or seven, major political parties elsewhere are being pressed into two. Unfortunately, while the parties themselves are both quite centrist, some elements conspire to push them apart. Elements, which disenfranchise some voters in that they are trying to mold the whole in their image. This is why you also have "independents" who can run the extreme spectrum from far left to far right, yet without party affiliation, yet most are also quite centrist.

The problem with the Tea Party (a more right-centrist arm of the GOP) is that it challenges the equally far from center governing faction of the DNC, (aptly represented by Obama, Biden, Pelosi, and Reid) which has become the norm in Washington. Why was there no Tea Party when Clinton was President? Because he, leading the DNC, took a very much centrist course. The current course of the DNC, is well to the left of center and was highlighted by the election of one of them most liberal members of the Congress, Barrack Obama, as President.

Obama hasn't changed, neither has the electorate. It is just that the latter group now understands his policies (and those of the ruling Democrats) and are not amused as they are not centrist. Thus you have the 2010 midterm elections, which were referendum on Obama's policies who have fallen from favor even more since then.